Finally, on Apr 29 (Fri, Holiday), Tokyo will play its first J-League match at the new Japan National Stadium.
At the National Stadium before renovation, we have played many official matches since our first year in the J.League. There were memorable super plays and impactful events. Since achieving our long-awaited title, Tokyo has won all titles at the National Stadium, symbolizing the deep connection between Tokyo and the National Stadium.
Our National.
Before taking a new step at the National Stadium, let's look back at the footprints and memories left at the previous National Stadium with photos from that time.
Dedication of 2012's First Crown and Lukon and Interpreter
[Match Information]
91st Emperor's Cup All Japan Soccer Championship Final Round
FC Tokyo 4-2 Kyoto Sanga F.C.
The person who led FC Tokyo to their first Emperor's Cup victory was a tour guide who had a very fitting smile.
On May 12, 2011, interpreter Kazunori IINO called his comrade's mobile phone on the exact opposite side of the Earth.
On that day, it was the birthday of Lucas Sevelino (Lins), his beloved wife. Lins and I were teammates and interpreters at FC Tokyo for four seasons from the 2004 season. Even after moving to G Osaka in the 2008 season, their friendship remained unchanged.
After the 2010 season, Lucas put an end to his playing career in Japan and returned to his home country of Brazil with his family. Even after returning to Brazil, the two of them frequently kept in touch. Faino was relieved to hear that Lucas was doing well after returning to his hometown club, Atletico Paranaense. On this day, he intended to call his wife to celebrate and catch up on each other's lives. However, what followed after Lucas said "Actually..." surprised Faino.
"I have already retired. It's common in Brazil, you see the unpleasant side of football."
After receiving this sudden confession, Iino took action. He also reported it to the then coach Kiyoshi Okuma and the strengthening department. At the same time, the club was struggling in the J2 league after the demotion due to Sota Hirayama's long-term absence due to injury. Negotiations behind the scenes for Luccon's return to Tokyo as a catalyst for the team began.
"Let's fight together again."
Even though Iino said that, at first he didn't receive a positive response. "No, no, I've already retired. There's no chance, Iino." Still, he didn't give up. He kept calling out, "Tokyo is in trouble right now. Please help us." In the end, he was able to get a response from Lucas, who had given up, saying "For the sake of Tokyo, who has done me a favor." However, Iino said, "I think there was another reason why he withdrew his retirement," and continued.
"ZICO didn't talk about it much, but he regretted not being able to retire in the way he had envisioned. I think that was one of the reasons that pushed him to make the decision. He wanted to come back to football and end his career in a good way. So when he returned to Japan, he couldn't be in a state where he couldn't move. After making the decision to return, he trained hard in Brazil and came to Japan with a strong body."
FC Tokyo, with the return of Lucca, dominated J2 and achieved their goal of returning to J1 in just one year with overwhelming strength.
And in the Emperor's Cup, which they had advanced to, they defeated Urawa Reds in the quarterfinals and then Cerezo Osaka in the semifinals. Before the final round, coach Lucon called out to his players, saying "If we win at the National Stadium on New Year's Day, we will feel refreshed. We will be able to experience a truly wonderful moment," and the team came together.
The first New Year's Day battle between two J2 clubs, facing Kyoto, who were both relegated to J2 in the 2010 season.
Despite conceding the opening goal, Tokyo was really strong on this day. Yasuyuki KONNO scored the equalizer from a set piece and calmed down his teammates, while Masato MORISHIGE quickly turned the game around with a powerful non-spinning shot. The highlight was Lukon's dominance in the second half. He scored two goals to defeat Kyoto and achieve the first championship.
Luccon continued his active career for another 13 years and reluctantly took off his spikes. That day, the big smile that shone at the national stadium became one of the highlights of his illustrious career. Behind that, there was the dedication of an interpreter who worked to create a path for his comrades.
Text by Tadashi BABA (Freelance Writer)
